November 30, 2023
Today’s Reading: John 1:35-42a
Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 25:1-18, Matthew 26:1-19
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In one sentence, John tells us everything we need to know about Jesus….everything we need to know about our life in Christ as his church, as his children.
John’s confession is what separates Christianity from all the world’s religions. God is “beholdable.” He is approachable, knowable, tangible. Men saw Jesus, heard him, touched him, ate with him. Jesus didn’t live in “never-land” or “once upon a time” or “in a galaxy far, far away.” He was born in the days of Caesar Augustus. Crucified under Pontius Pilate.
John’s confession is remarkable. When John stands in the wilderness and points to Jesus saying, “Behold, the Lamb!” he’s pointing to God in human flesh. God with a human face. God who is truly bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh.
Behold, the Lamb of God. In the Scriptures, a Lamb means sacrifice. Sacrifice is God’s way of covering our sin and guilt. Sacrifice is God’s way of taking our death and giving us life in exchange. A substitute. A life for a life. The innocent for the guilty.
As John cries out, “Behold, the Lamb!” three OT events come to mind. After the fall, God clothed Adam and Eve’s nakedness and shame. And God did this with animal skins. Seems ordinary enough, but where did those skins come from? That’s right…sacrifice. A substitute. A life for a life. The innocent for the guilty.
Then there’s Abraham and Isaac. “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” And as they hiked up the mountain, Isaac said to Abraham, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And he did. The Lord provided.
Finally, we can’t forget the Passover lamb. The Lamb would die. A sacrifice. Substitute. A life for a life. The innocent for the guilty. Guilt covered. Sins forgiven and atoned for. Blood covered the doorpost. And Israel ate the flesh of the Lamb who was slain for them.
All of Old Testament history – the tabernacle and temple – all of it is soaked in sacrificial blood. And it is all a blessed reminder of John’s words that Jesus is the Lamb of God whose blood cleanses us from all sin. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
Lamb of God, pure and holy, Who on the cross didst suffer, Ever patient and lowly, Thyself to scorn didst offer. All sins Thou borest for us, Else had despair reigned o’er us. Have mercy on us, O Jesus! O Jesus! (LSB 434:1)
-Pastor Samuel Schuldheisz is pastor at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.
Study Christ’s words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.
